Anthropological Theory of the Didactic: connections and breaks in Research

Abstract

The Anthropological Theory of the Didactic, part of the French Didactics of Mathematics, is a theoretical and methodological framework extensively studied within the Mathematics Didactics Group. In this study, we aim to present the connections and divergences in two research projects conducted simultaneously within the Graduate Program in Mathematics Education at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul. One is a master's research and the other a doctoral dissertation. Both studies employed the Anthropological Theory of the Didactic as their theoretical and methodological foundation, utilizing different tools provided by the theory, as its distinct elements enable the analysis of various situations. The master's research, titled Mental Calculation in a Collection of Textbooks for the Early Years, sought to understand the praxeologies present in a collection of textbooks. Meanwhile, the dissertation, titled Possibilities and Limitations of Study and Research Micro-Courses in Geometry, investigated how the development of Study and Research Paths (PEP) can impact the continuous professional development of mathematics teachers in basic education, with a focus on geometric content. Both studies utilized the Anthropological Theory of the Didactic in their approaches and research contexts, offering different perspectives and methods of mobilizing the theory's concepts.